While many African tribal men are highly respected as practitioners of medicine-related magic, women who do so are more often viewed with suspicion, if not considered downright malevolent. The Yoruba, for example, believed that some witches (called aje) would transform themselves into birds and fly by night to practice magic far from prying eyes. These witches were granted these powers by the great feminine spirits known as the Orisha.One of the most powerful Orisha was Oya—the goddess of storms, winds, rainbows, and thunder, as well as a water goddess of the Niger River. She is a fierce warrior who protects women and is associated with change. Oya is especially known for using charms and magic, and is known as the "Great Mother of the Elders of the Night."Oya is the oldest sister to the goddesses Yemaya and Oshun, and she is considered the crone figure in this trilogy of feminine goddesses. Under the name of Yansa, she also figures in Haitian Voodoo as one of over 400 Orisha spirits.
